aging | Silver Magazine

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Best Places to Retire in Canada

“You’ll Never Believe These 5 Wellness-Focused Places to Retire in Canada (That Don’t Scream ‘Senior Citizen’)” Forget bingo nights and early bird specials — today’s 50+ crowd is redefining retirement with yoga mats, hiking boots, and an unapologetic appetite for adventure. If you’re not interested in “slowing down” but instead levelling up your next chapter, we’ve got you. Aging Out Loud: Why We’re Not Going Quietly (Or Gracefully) Who decided aging had to be graceful, anyway? Whoever they were, they never tried deadlifting at 62, ran a half-marathon with knees that sound like popcorn, or started a business the same year they qualified for a senior discount. The truth is, we’re not interested in “aging well,” we’re interested in thriving hard. This isn’t about pretending to be 30 again. It’s about finally having the confidence (and let’s be honest, the time) to do the things that matter, the hard things.

Staff July 1, 2025

Health

New Advances in Anti Aging Research

For a very, very long time, anti-aging drugs have been the bane of scammers, scoundrels and charlatans. Snake oil, if you will. Turns out, there are some anti-aging drugs and you may well be taking one of them? Have type 2 diabetes and on metformin? That’s one of them and FDA approval is being sought for its use as an anti-aging medication. The world’s population is aging, especially in parts of Asia, Europe and North America. Over the next 30 years it is projected that the number of over 65 year olds will double to 1.5 Billion. Only the continent of Africa is seeing significant growth in a younger population. Today, over 80% of adults aged 65 or over have at least one chronic illness with 68% having two or more. That’s a lot of illness and a lot of medications. From heart disease to diabetes, hypertension, dementia, arthritis and

Alex Hurst August 4, 2022

Health

Preventing hip fractures: a key to healthy aging

Sticks and stones can break my bones – and so can aging. Risk of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by low bone mass and deteriorating bone tissue, increases with age, and so does increased risk of fracture. Known as the “silent thief,” deterioration can occur gradually without any symptoms. For post-menopausal women, the risk is even greater. By the time a break has occurred, the disease is usually advanced. The most common fractures associated with osteoporosis are in the hip, spine, wrist, and shoulder. An estimated 70% to 90% of hip fractures are caused by this chronic disease, which has no clearcut cause. According to a new study of Ontarians aged 65 and up, hip fracture predicts subsequent hip fracture. Any type of fracture in older adults is a significant predictor of a subsequent hip fracture, especially within the following two years. The results reinforce the importance of early hip fracture

David Holt February 3, 2022

Longevity

Love love

My mother was an actress. She wore capes – long ones that billowed behind her as if they were motorized – and when she was still, they landed on the floor in beautiful puddles. Her jewellery – big and colourful like planets – exuded a shimmer of sitar-like music which narrowed into a single coke-bottle note in the evenings. Andy Warhol designed a pair of earrings for her. They looked like two ruins that had been pulled from the earth, but when she wore them – I don’t know what to tell you – something out of this world happened and I’ll just leave it at that. When she hugged me, her perfume stayed with me all day, bloomed when I shook my head, and when she was away, I’d dab it hot behind my ears the way she did behind hers. I waited for it to wear off a

Sherry Cassells October 29, 2021

Health

Dementia research and what we’re learning

Dementia, such as Alzheimers, is of top concern for Canadians as they age and for their parents, especially those in their 50’s and dealing with aging parents. A recent study by Baycrest a teaching hospital in Toronto, found Canadians are unsure about available resources for them and their parents and find it difficult to get the right information. The study also found that less than one in five people are confident about their knowledge in preventing dementia. One in four Canadians over 45 don’t know when to start taking steps to prevent dementia and only 16% of study respondents indicated having any type of plan ion place to deal with it. “Almost 80 per cent of our long-term care residents are living with dementia. Through Baycrest’s ground-breaking research and innovations, compassionate care and renowned educational programs, we are striving to take critical steps forward in paving the way towards a

Simone Waters October 18, 2021

Mind

The science behind laughing

Laughter boosts immunity, mental health, learning and more. Seriously. Exercise, sleep, diet and stress-management are critical for immunity. But there’s a lesser known way you can boost your health (plus a whole lot of other things). In these uncertain times, laughing yourself silly may just be a smart thing to do. The science of laughter—though still preliminary—suggests that it has benefits for our health and psychological well-being. Here are just five examples from this emerging research: Physical Health. A review of the existing research suggests that humor and laughter may boost immune function. Another study found that even just anticipating a funny event decreases potentially detrimental stress-related hormones. In another study, laughter was found to lower stress and inflammation and increase good cholesterol. Mental Health. Laughter is wonderful for stress relief. A review of research on laughter therapies suggests they can reduce anxiety, depression and perceived stress. Laughter makes you

Dr. Emma Sappala September 22, 2021

Mind

Train your brain like an Olympian

Jean François Ménard’s new book teaches us how to have an Olympian mentality at work. You’re training some of the country’s elite athletes. Within that inner circle, there is a technical coach, a strength and conditioning coach to train their body, a physical therapist, chiropractor, nutritionist, and a mental-performance coach. Being a part of that inner circle is a huge responsibility considering that when an athlete reaches an elite level, what separates the winners from the rest of the field isn’t their physical preparation but how well they build that brain muscle strength and call upon it when their performance hits a curve. Like any coach in this arena, you’ve put in the work and navigated your way successfully at various international competitions – World Cups, Pan American Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. Each event is getting you closer to the holy grail – the Olympics. For the first time in

Marylene Vestergom September 20, 2021

Health

Aging, brain health and omega-3

We know omega-3 oils can help with inflammation and joint health. Research suggests it may also help our brains as we age. As we age, omega-3 can play a key role in joint and muscle health, but it can also help with brain cognition and diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers. Since 2005, research has been increasing and we’re understanding more of the benefits it may bring. While more studies are needed, those that have been done indicate increased amounts of omega-3 can help reduce inflammation in the brain, which can lead to depression and dementia as we age. Other research is pointing to omega-3 playing a role in helping children with ADHD as well as adult sufferers in combination with their medications. We note that omega-3 does not cure or offer an alternative treatment to pharmaceuticals, it is a supplementary treatment that can be included in ongoing care of

Simone Waters September 1, 2021

Health

How to feed your hormones

If you feed your hormones the right way, it can make a huge difference in your mental health and sex life! Many of us experience signs and symptoms of hormonal imbalance every day. Trouble getting out of bed in the morning, uncontrollable sugar cravings in the afternoon, high stress levels and chronic headaches are just a few symptoms. Dr. Natasha Turner, a leading naturopathic doctor in Canada, explores these issues in her book, The Hormone Diet. She says our bodies send these signals when something isn’t right, but often we are too busy to pay attention. Compounding the problem is a lack of understanding about the causes of these symptoms and future consequences if left unaddressed. “Hormones are powerful chemical messengers in our body — they control everything from our reproductive functions to our mood, sleep, appearance and almost every other aspect of daily life,” says Turner, a native of

Alex Hurst May 28, 2021